Nick sat in an uncomfortable chair beside Jennifer's hospital bed, tears in his eyes. Jen had never seen him like this before. He wasn't an unemotional man, but he was usually much less effusive. His face stayed stoic whenever he had feeling on the inside. Jen prided herself in being able to see through that.

But now, anyone could see every emotion on Nick's face. His eyes were unapologetically watery, and his beaming smile couldn't be contained.

"I can't believe it," he murmured over and over.

Jen felt exactly the same way, but she was far too exhausted to do anything more than smile.

Nick gently held his daughter in his arms, afraid to move, as though she might shatter. "She's so soft and pink and perfect," he said, looking from her sleeping face and over to Jen.

"Have you ever held a baby before?" she asked with a bemused expression.

"Not like this. She's only a few hours old!"

Jen shifted her grip as their son nursed on her. "A few hours old and asleep after her first meal. And hopefully he's on his way there, as well."

Nick watched their baby boy suckle at her breast, in awe of everything. "I'm sure they'll both be asleep for a little while. I can have the nurse put them with the other newborns so you can get some sleep."

"No, I want them to stay here," Jen protested. "After waiting so long, we finally have them here. I don't want them far away."

Nick smiled softly. "I'll keep them here. But you do need to rest. I know we've both been awake for over thirty hours, but I didn't birth twins this morning."

Jennifer chuckled, "That's right, you didn't. Although you did carry me into the hospital like some crazed superhero until the nurse forced you to put me in the wheelchair."

He gave her a sheepish look. "I don't like seeing you in pain."

"Well it's all over now. They've arrived and they're soft and pink and perfect," she said, repeating his words. "And we're a family now," she added.

"I do love you, Mrs. Buchanan," he told her. "You and our children."

She smirked. She had finally gotten around to changing her name, and Nick couldn't stop calling her that. Being his wife was still the happiest thrill, even after almost three years. And seeing her husband openly cry over the love and joy he had for their children was more than she'd ever dreamed.

"Are we going to start calling each other Dad and Mum now?" Nick asked.

Jen couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "I don't know, are we those sort of people? If it feels natural, I suppose we might as well. But I'm certainly not your mum so perhaps you should only call me that when the babies are around, alright?"

He nodded with an amused smile. "That works for me." Nick turned his attention to the baby girl in his arms. "Now then, Ella, I think it's time for you and your brother to say goodnight to Mum and we can all sleep for a while, eh?" He looked over to Jen, who watched him with tears in her eyes. "Alright?"

"I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"I knew you'd be the most incredible father."

Nick beamed proudly and placed Ella in the bassinet and waited as Jen held their son gently and burped him over her shoulder.

"Go to sleep, Cody," she murmured, trying not to beg the tiny little boy but distinctly feeling exhaustion overtake her. Jen handed him to Nick, who placed him down next to Ella. "Everyone go to sleep." Her eyes fluttered closed before she knew it.

Nick settled down in the chair once more, his tired gaze switching between Jennifer, Ella, and Cody, the three loves of his life. As sleep claimed him, he marveled at how he could somehow feel so much gratitude and love and wonder, and he was amazed that he'd somehow lived so much of his life not knowing what he was missing.

Hours later, Nick was awoken gently by his very favorite sound in the world. Jen was singing. He'd gotten quite used to her melodic humming over the last few months, and it warmed his heart every time. He didn't bother yet to open his eyes. He knew what he'd find. Jen sitting in the bath, rubbing soapy water all over her pregnant belly, singing to their unborn babies inside. She often left the door open so she could call when he needed his assistance in getting out of the bath tub. That must be why the sound was so clear.

With a slight jolt of memory, Nick's eyes snapped open. They weren't at home. They were at the hospital. And Jen wasn't pregnant anymore. Their babies had been born.

"There you are," Jen greeted with a small smile. She was sitting up in the hospital bed with the bassinet right next to her. She leaned down to speak to the babies. "Dad's awake now. That makes all four of us. Thank you very much for letting him sleep and not crying. But he can sleep through almost anything. When you're older, we can tell you all about how we met each other and how he would always fall right to sleep and I would be tossing and turning all night until he would wrap those big strong arms around me so I'd relax," she murmured.

Nick watched her and thought his heart would burst out of his chest. "I think we'll have to wait quite a while before we can tell them that story."

Jen shrugged. "We've got a rather interesting story, and they should know it. They should know how loved and wanted they are, how they were born from struggle and destiny."

"Destiny?"

"I'm very hormonal, don't contradict me," she grumbled. "Now come over here and help me hold Ella. She's moving around a lot and I don't know if that's a good sign or not. Cody seems rather happy where he is, so maybe leave him for now."

And so they continued that way all through the early morning hours. Nurses and doctors came by to check on Jen and the babies. Everyone was recovering very well. No complaints or worries from any of them. Nick was more relieved than he could express.

At lunchtime, the Buchanan family had its first visitors. Bernice was the first person Nick had called after the birth, at Jen's insistence. And as they'd requested, Bernice had brought Stanley Wolfe with her.

"Where are those babies!?" Bernice exclaimed, hurrying into the room with an excited smile on her face. Stanley followed close behind with a similar expression on his face but was significantly quieter about it.

Jen just beamed to see them. "Bernice, come here and meet our little girl. Hold her if you like." She handed the baby over to Bernice.

Nick handed their son to Stanley. "Jen, do you want to introduce everyone?" he prompted.

"Just over a day old, I'd like you to meet Cody Stanley Buchanan and Ella Bernice Buchanan. And Nick and I were hoping you two would agree to be their godparents," Jen requested, biting her bottom lip expectantly.

Bernice and Stanley both seemed overcome by the emotion and began stammering rather sweetly.

Nick interrupted, "We wanted to name our children after people who were important to us, not just to each of us but to us together. Stanley, you've been as close to a father as Jen's ever had, and you've known about us probably longer than anyone and never said a word. And Bernice, I don't know how we'd have ever gotten here without you. You've been…"

"Everything," Jen finished, sincerity evident in her face and voice. "Really. My whole life, I've never had the kind of friendship and support that you've given me for the last six months. Nick and I both love the two of you so much and I don't care that you're our commanding officers. You're our family. And we want our children to know you and love you and live their lives knowing they were named after the two best people we know."

Stanley smiled softly. "It would be an honor," he said. His voice was quiet but heavy with emotion.

Bernice let out a cathartic laugh, blinking back tears. "Frankly, I'd be pissed off if you tried to have anyone else as their godmother."

The extended family had their visit, cooing at the babies, marveling at every little thing they did. Soon enough, they were joined by more visitors.

"Right, Duncan's flirting with a nurse so we can stay, even though technically you're not allowed more than two visitors at a time in this ward," Matt announced as he walked into the room. "Oh, Jen, you look amazing!" he gushed.

Nick frowned slightly but was quickly distracted when Stanley bid everyone farewell. "I should be getting back. I'll come by tomorrow, if that's alright."

"That would be great," Jen replied with a smile.

The Senior Sergeant passed Duncan at the doorway. "Oi, you've got babies!" he teased.

Nick laughed. "We do! Two of them!"

Matt had inserted himself beside Jen's bed, watching Cody in Bernice's arms and Ella cradled in Jen's. Nick told them the babies' names, which were met with big smiles from Matt and Duncan.

"You can name the next one after me, then," Duncan said with a wink.

Jen and Nick just laughed.

"Can I hold her?" Matt asked Jen quietly, his arms out to receive the baby.

But Jen just stared at him, slightly startled. Instinctively, she held Ella closer to her.

"Maybe later," Nick said quietly.

Matt could feel the tension and was unsure of why he'd caused it. Nick really did feel for him in that moment. He really was a good friend to them, regardless of his petty jealousy at times. And he just wanted to be a part of the joyous occasion. Matty didn't know the way Jen had struggled to get to this point, the way these babies were a miracle in and of themselves, that their safe birth was more of an unlikely gift than anyone else could ever understand. Her over-protectiveness was a symptom of their tragic past manifesting in their happy present, and Matt could never understand that.

"Here, Ryan, why don't you meet Cody. I will stay here all day if I don't leave now. Though I might come back tonight," she said, looking to Jen.

"Please do," Jen replied with a nod.

"Oh is Rhys coming by, did he say?" Bernice asked Matt.

Duncan answered for him, "Nah, Allie whined about how babies aren't that interesting, and Rhys said you lot probably wouldn't want to have him here, so they both stayed back at the station."

At that last remark, Bernice laughed. "Well, once you're settled back home, Rhys and I will come by with Charlie, eh?"

That suited Jen just fine. They said goodbye to their dear friend as she handed Cody over to Matt. The baby boy immediately began wailing.

"What did I do?" Matt asked in panic.

Duncan came over to help. "Here, hold on…" Unwitting, the baby was thrust into Dunny's arms. He shushed and cooed a bit, and Cody settled right down. Duncan ginned proudly. "I think he likes me!"

"Everyone likes you," Nick quipped.

"Not right away. Jen hated me at first," he reminded her.

"That's because you thought I was taking your job away, so you were acting like a dickhead!" she fired back.

"Fair enough," he laughed in reply.

The friends all reminisced for a little while until Ella began to fuss. "I think it's snack time. Which is your cue to leave," Jen told the visitors.

"You're not going to let us see them eat?"

"You want to look at my wife's tits? I'll kill you myself, Matty, and even in a hospital, I'll make sure no doctor gets to you in time," Nick challenged.

"Oh shut up," Jen grumbled. She wasted no time undoing the top of her hospital gown to allow Ella to suckle at her breast, not bothering to wait for anyone to leave. But just for good measure, she barked, "If you are not biologically related to the babies, get out!"

Duncan handed Cody to his father and ushered a rather shocked Matt out of the room. But on their way out, they ran into the final visitor of the day, who was unprepared for the sight he came upon.

"Maplethorpe!" came the mispronounced cry.

"Cody, this is your Uncle Terry, and he's just got an eyeful of your mum. And now Dad's gonna have to kill him, too" Nick murmured to his son.

"Close a door when you do that, Christ!" Terry Jarvis complained, turning away in inexplicable revulsion.

"I'm feeding my baby!" Jen pointed out. "Grow up!"

Unsure of what else to do, Nick held Cody close to him until it was his turn to feed and began to laugh. They had a perfect little family and it was made all the more special from their very imperfect cop family. And despite the insanity of it all, Nick felt nothing but pure joy.